If you're optimistic, this is a good omen. If you're pessimistic, it's a bad sign.
The Buffalo Bills have had incredible recent success with the referee assigned to their wild card playoff matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The ref, Brad Allen, was announced as the man in charge when the NFL unveiled all the opening officiating assignments for the playoffs on Monday afternoon.
And how's this for a stat: The Bills have won their last six games in which Allen was the referee.
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Overall, Buffalo has a 9-4 record with Allen wearing the white cap. It was 3-4 before the six-game streak.
Allen actually hasn't officiated Buffalo once this season. He most recently had the Bills' Dec. 21, 2024, win over the Patriots.
He's been an NFL referee since 2014. The Jaguars are 6-8 with Allen as the head referee.
In Allen's time as a ref, his crew has thrown fewer penalty flags per game than the league average in all but two seasons.
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This year, Allen's crew is throwing 2.54 fewer flags per game than the league average. That's the largest discrepancy of his officiating career.
Also intriguingly, Allen's home winning percentage is always much lower than the league average in every season of his career.
That, at least, feels like a good omen for the Bills, since they'll be on the road in Jacksonville.
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